Blue Origin Suspends New Shepard Spaceflights
Blue Origin has announced a significant shift in its operational strategy, suspending all flights of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle for at least the next two years. This decision, made public on January 30, 2023, aligns with the company’s renewed focus on lunar exploration initiatives.
Details of the New Shepard Suspension
The New Shepard vehicle has successfully completed 38 flights since its inception in 2015. This suspension aims to redirect resources towards developing lunar programs, marking a pivotal change in Blue Origin’s priorities. The company confirmed that the pause will last for “not less than two years,” although specifics on job impacts or resource allocation remain unclear.
Recent Mission Highlights
- The last New Shepard mission, designated NS-38, took place just eight days prior to the announcement.
- This mission included five paying customers and an employee who substituted for a customer unable to fly due to health issues.
- Phil Joyce, Blue Origin’s senior vice president for New Shepard, previously indicated intentions to increase the flight frequency to an “approximately weekly” schedule.
Transition to Lunar Development
As part of its strategic shift, Blue Origin is also advancing its Blue Moon lunar lander. This includes both an uncrewed Mark 1 version and a crewed Mark 2 version, designed for NASA’s Human Landing System program. The Mark 1 lander recently departed Blue Origin’s Florida facility for thermal vacuum testing at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The lander has not yet been assigned a launch date and will not be featured in the upcoming New Glenn mission set for late February.
NASA’s Support for Lunar Endeavors
Nancy Izakman, NASA Administrator, emphasized the agency’s commitment to facilitating the acceleration of lunar lander development. In a statement on January 30, she expressed readiness to revise requirements and provide necessary resources to ensure timely project completion.
- Efforts are directed towards meeting the 2028 launch deadline for the Artemis 3 mission.
- Collaboration between NASA and companies like Blue Origin is focused on reducing technical risks and increasing launch frequencies.
As Blue Origin pivots towards human lunar exploration, its commitment to this goal reflects a broader national strategy for a sustainable presence on the Moon.
